Guest Author, Erma M. Ullrey

 

Erma is a sweet friend and critique partner. I found this story powerful and eye-opening.

 

BEFORE LETTERS WITH LOVE
By
Erma M. Ullrey

 

Have you ever met someone whose impact so greatly affected your life that it continues on today?

When Lila Concord first came to life in my imagination, her love for the Lord and her wisdom inspired me. From the moment she uttered her first words, I knew she’d change me. How, exactly, I didn’t know. After all, she began as a minor character in my rom-com, Journaled With Love. But she hinted at something larger, igniting her scenes with her undeniable presence. Lila had heart and grit and a stick-to-it strength that commanded a story beyond her sub-character role.

As a writer, you pray and hope your character(s) will share their stories with you. …thankfully, Lila opened up like a beautiful, fragrant flower.

She and I talked throughout the dreary Winter of 2025. By the Spring of 2026, I understood the passion and pain that pumped through Lila James Lane Concord’s veins enough to flood the pages of Letters With Love.

While Lila joyously remained conversant, she put me to work, demanding I do my research. I learned, for example, that 1940s car radiators forbade distance driving. Painted gray, the retired Queen Mary safely crossed the Atlantic 1001 times during WWII, transporting people and soldiers back and forth between N.Y. and England. Mixed race couples could legally marry only in a handful of states in the early 1940s. Black pilots were used as decoys for fighter planes piloted by whites. Inhumane experiments were performed on base in Tuskegee, Alabama.

On a happier note, Mrs. Spinnler* became the catalyst for good in Lila’s life, encouraging her to learn Latin, which opened the door for her WWII codebreaker position. These behind-the-scenes heroes translated intercepted messages, giving the Allies an incredible edge over the Third Reich.

Much like her parents, Lila’s life didn’t begin as one of ease. But even when she didn’t see it, she trusted the Lord, choosing to walk beside Him come what may. As a young Negro woman, she experienced merciless prejudice, moments of joy, heartbreaking disappointments, and victorious miracles. Her darkest nights eventually yielded to brightest, golden days.

As only the Lord can, He placed other inspirational people in Lila’s life. Her best friend Dotty revealed the heart of a true friend. Joseph Lane believed love was colorless and proved that in undeniable ways. Anna Lane and Thurston Bunkard III taught Lila to fight for herself. The risks Bessie Smith and Dannetta Applegate took pushed Lila to find God’s purpose for her life. Duncan healed her heart with the love God meant for her to enjoy.

I’m not sure what more the Lord will say through Lila to me, but I know the adventure He began hasn’t come to an end. He reminded me of that through His word in Philippians 1:6: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (NKJV)

Lila, you, and me … we’ve still got more races to run. And thanks to people the Lord brings into our lives, we’ll find His purpose.

By the way, Mrs. Spinnler taught eighth grade history at Memorial School, West Paterson, N.J. From 1926 to 1970, she took the stage daily, delivering unforgettable scenes from the Civil War. But it was what she did beyond the classroom—giving up her lunch hour to help struggling students—that brought her and Lila together in this WWII historical romance.

 

Letters With Love
Available on Amazon June 25, 2026.

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